Sarah E. "Sally" Murphy

Sarah E. “Sally” Murphy, 85

Sarah E. “Sally” Murphy, 85, formerly of Punxsutawney, passed away peacefully Thursday, December 7, 2023, at her daughter’s home in Morrisdale, PA.

She was born January 5, 1938, in Pittsburgh, a daughter of the late Olive (Byron) and Frank O. Patterson.

She married young to an up and coming Army Officer, Clifton M. Murphy, eventually settling back in Punxsutawney in the waning days of the Vietnam War. Being a good army wife whose husband was serving overseas, Sally began serving her community. While serving as a full time mom of four unruly children she found respite as a candy striper at the Adrian Hospital as well as an EMT/Paramedic for the Punxsutawney Ambulance Service and she volunteered to deliver Meals on wheels.  Soon she was employed as a switchboard operator at the Adrian Hospital moving to outpatient intake. She continued her work with the hospital and the ambulance service when the hospital moved up the hill. When her father needed in home care, Sally moved to Florida to care for him until his passing. Taking advantage of every opportunity, Sally attended and graduated with a degree in nursing from Daytona Beach Community College. Upon her return to Punxsutawney Sally brought her nursing skills to the Punxsutawney Area Hospital and the DuBois Regional Medical Center eventually retiring from Mulberry Square. She loved nursing and the people she worked with. 

Sally was a lifelong knitter and relished her opportunities to travel the world. She was unrivaled in her ability to shop Amazon. In her quieter moments she could be found reading, listening to Rush Limbaugh or watching Fox News. She grew to enjoy watching Steelers games with her grandson, Jim. Sally was also an active member of the Punxsutawney Republicans Club. And now it can finally be told, yes, she did steal that beer mug from the Hofbräuhaus in Munich, Germany.

Surviving relatives include four children, daughter Marye Murphy-Snyder and husband Bryan of Morrisdale; daughter Melissa Blose and husband Doug of Punxsutawney, son James Murphy and wife Angela of Nazareth, PA, and John Murphy and Nicky White of Terryville, CT; and a wonderful grandmother to her five grandchildren, Sarah Roland, Rachael Roland, James W. Murphy, III, Savannah L. Murphy and Regan E. Murphy; two brothers, Frank O. Patterson, Jr. and wife Ruth of Charleroi, PA and Robert Patterson and wife Melanie of Belle Vernon, PA; as well as numerous nieces and nephews and her beloved cat Frank.

Services are private and under the direction of the Deeley Funeral Home, Punxsutawney.

Online condolences may be made at www.deeleyfuneralhome.com. Donations can be made to the Republican Party of Pennsylvania at https://contribute.pagop.org/pagop in memory of Sarah E. Murphy.